The Cornersville Lady Bulldogs completed the season sweep of District 11-A foe Culleoka on Monday night when they defeated the Lady Warriors 8-1 on the road.

Cornersville (3-2, 3-1 District) had crushed Culleoka 14-3 six days earlier, but were on upset alert for much of Monday's contest, as they trailed 1-0 through the first four innings of play before tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth.

Seven in seventh

The Lady Bulldogs, however, finally broke the game open in the top of the seventh inning and pushed across seven runs in the frame en route to claiming their 14th straight victory over the Lady Warriors.

Bolstered by their late offensive surge, Cornersville finished with 10 hits against Culleoka starting pitcher Mariah Delk.

Catcher MandiLynn Calahan helped jumpstart the Lady Bulldogs' offense by going 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored, while Makayla Campbell and Ashley Beard both added two hits and 2 RBI. Breanne Dunkleman (2 RBI), Kaitlyn Rogers, and starting hurler Taylor Wolaver each notched a hit for Cornersville as well.

"I told the girls that an ugly win is still a win, but I just hate that we waited so late to score some runs. We hit the ball hard for most of the game, but we hit it right at people," said Lady Bulldog coach Eric Crabtree.

Solid pitching

Wolaver also turned in a solid performance in the circle to pick up her third win of the season, as she yielded one run in seven innings of work on four hits while issuing no walks and recording seven strikeouts.

Kayla Dale tallied two hits to pace Culleoka at the plate. Delk (1 RBI) and Maranda Hardison each tallied one hit for the Lady Warriors as well.

Neither team managed to score in the first three innings of play before Culleoka grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Dale scampered home on a RBI single by Delk after leading off the frame with a single, stealing second, and advancing to third on a CHS error.

The Lady Warriors lead would be short lived, as Cornersville tallied a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1. Calahan reached base on an error before advancing to second on a groundout by Carson Coble. Campbell then plated Calahan by ripping a two-out RBI single into centerfield.

Rout begins

Wolaver worked around a one-out single by Hardison in the bottom of the sixth before the Lady Bulldogs exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh to forge an 8-1 lead.

After leading off the frame with a single, Wolaver advanced to third on a Wortham sacrifice bunt and a Culleoka throwing error while Wortham reached second base on the play. Calahan then drove in Wolaver with a RBI single to give Cornersville a 2-1 advantage, before Coble reached base on a fielder's choice when the Lady Warriors tried unsuccessfully to throw out Wortham at third. Following a RBI single by Campbell, Dunkleman and Beard delivered consecutive two-run singles to extend the Lady Bulldogs' lead to 7-1. Beard then came home on a Culleoka throwing error to cap the scoring in the inning before Wolaver retired the Lady Warriors in order in the bottom of the seventh.